Through the Peephole
by Indiel
Summary: Lottie wasn't a nosy person. Or, that's what she told herself. But when a Mr. Becker moved into the flat across from her she was intrigued. Lottie may be old but she's not your average OAP. What lengths will she go to to get Jess and Becker together? JxB


**Disclaimer – Don't own it. But Lottie, William and Rose are my own characters.**

**Through the Peephole**

By E is for Idiot

Lottie had never been a nosy person. In fact, she considered herself to be the un-nosiest person she knew. Except the occasional eavesdropping. And when a certain Mr. Becker moved into the flat across from her she'd no intention of nosing around his personal business. Except for when she noticed he was a young, healthy male, and she had not seen a girl come round to his flat in the two years he'd been there.

Or a male, for that matter. But Lottie didn't think he was like that.

When she'd first gone round to introduce herself, bearing gifts in the form of shortbread in a tin, she gathered he didn't talk much. When she'd said that if he ever needed to talk or wanted a chat her and her husband were right across from him, he'd just nodded and smiled vaguely. Come to think of it, he didn't smile much either.

Maybe that was the problem, Lottie considered, before shaking her head and discarding the thought. He probably just had a demanding job. More than once she had been up for a midnight snack and heard his heavy footstep pounding down the stairs, muttering to someone for locations. Surely he could have a work relationship then. What kind of job would stop you from dating someone?

Lottie quickly erased that thought from her head as many options presented themselves to her rhetorical question.

Maybe he was just socially awkward. He didn't seem like the chatty type when she had gone round there. And apart from that one conversation, and a couple of passing "hello's" in the corridor, she hadn't really spoken to him. She hardly knew him. _So why was she so interested in his love life? _Lottie snorted as she immediately thought of the answer: _She was old, retired and had nothing better to do._

Lottie smiled. She wasn't nosy. Just curious.

Or at least, that's what she told herself.

After a while Lottie had decided to drop subtle, helpful hints.

Only they weren't as subtle as Lottie would've liked. But he was a man after all; they didn't know the meaning of "subtle hint".

When passing him in the corridor she would occasionally say something like:

"Still not grabbed a girl, Becker? Better hurry up or the only ones left will be my age! Then again, at the pace you're going you'll be my age too."

To which he'd smile sarcastically and say "Morning to you too, Lottie."

Or when she'd said:

"God Becker, still no girl?" At this point he'd given her his _'are-you-going-to-keep-bringing-this-up' _look. She knew he really found it amusing. And she was definitely his favourite neighbour. Then again, with the grumpy middle aged man in 5B and the bore doing psychology in 5D, there really wasn't much competition.

"So, no girl." She'd ploughed on "What about a guy?" He'd glared at her, shaken his head, grabbed his post and muttered "...and if you did have one of those things it'd probably be a girlfriend... Just like Jess." He sighed under his breath.

Lottie had then proceeded to spend the next half an hour wondering who Jess was, and if Becker was interested in her.

Or finally, Lottie's favourite occasion. She couldn't help herself; he was just stood there minding his own business. Waiting for a call by the look of things.

"Waiting for a call off your girlfriend?" she'd inquired.

"No." He scowled. Even though she knew he was only doing it to hide his smile. And he knew that she knew.

She couldn't help it, the words slipped out before she'd thought them through. Not that she regretted them though.

"Nothing wrong with Becker Jr. is there?" _That_ had gotten his attention. He had straightened up from leaning on the wall, his face reddening as he spluttered for something that even closely resembled human speech.

"No!" he had finally exclaimed. Lottie cackled.

"Just because I'm an OAP." She poked his chest "Doesn't mean I'm your average granny."

"Clearly not." He muttered, just as his phone went off "Um... I have to go." He said before practically sprinting down the stairs to take his call. Lottie laughed; he knew it was all in good fun. And she knew she may have pushed it a little far.

But it had been worth it just to see him blush.

Okay, Lottie allowed, maybe she was a little bit nosy. But she hadn't seen anyone round at his flat since he'd moved in and when she'd heard Becker's voice coupled with a female's, well, she just couldn't _resist_. She couldn't make out their voices very well as they were whispering but she knew it was Becker.

And _with_ someone else. A _girl_, at that.

It was like a miracle.

She looked through the peephole in her door and spotted Becker arguing with a blonde haired girl. She wore ruffed jeans, boots and a plain white tank top. She looked quite tom-boyish. As Lottie had never seen Becker with a woman she didn't know what kind of girl he liked, but this was obviously a take charge kinda girl, someone who could take care of them self.

But Lottie had a strange feeling, she didn't know why. Maybe the way he was looking at her. It didn't look romantic. It looked irritated.

But when had Becker ever done feelings?

However, Lottie was proved correct in her suspicions when a geeky looking guy bounded up the stairs carrying a DVD in one hand. He practically skipped (with a childish glee a man really shouldn't have) over to the bickering pair and wrapped his arm around the blonde, successfully breaking the hushed argument. Lottie got the gist of it was about animal rights. The man had slightly long dark hair that was partially covered by a hat, his fingerless glove clad hand waved the DVD in the air.

"Movie night! The first of many!" Lottie couldn't help the excitement and pure curiosity that rushed through her. If this was going to be an annual thing she might get to see more of Becker's _friends_. Maybe a hint at his love life. She wasn't stalking him. She was just... curious.

Or at least, that's what she told herself.

"Where's Jess?" she heard Becker ask. _Jess, Jess, Jess..._ Where had she heard that name before?

"She's struggling with the stairs." The geeky guy said, pointing back down the staircase.

"It's only five floors, Connor." Becker said in a disbelieving voice.

"Yes, but she's wearing 5 inch heels." The blonde girl said. Becker sighed and started walking towards the stairs muttering under his breath about _'Jess and her ridiculous shoes'_

_5 inch heels_ Lottie thought. She liked the girl already. Lottie had always been one for wearing heels and dressing up. However, with her balance skills not being what they were she found she couldn't wear heels unless they were very little ones. More 1 or 2 inches. Never _5 inches_.

Of course! Lottie had remembered where she'd heard the name before; Becker had mumbled it under his breath when she teased him about having a boyfriend. She wouldn't have remembered such a minuscule detail had she not proceeded to debate if he liked her for the next hour or so.

Suddenly she heard a girl cry out. "Becker! Put me down! Becker!"

Lottie's eye was as close to the peephole as it was going to get.

Becker came into view at the top of the stairs carrying, bridal style, a very slight women in a bright dress with killer 5 inch heels on that were orange and had a big black bow on the toe.

"You were taking too long and I'd like to get this movie finished, tonight preferably." The girl, who Lottie assumed was Jess, crossed her arms and huffed. Despite having reached the top of the stairs, Becker didn't put her down but proceeded to carry her over to his flat door, which he'd unlocked before, nudge it open with his foot and carry the girl over the threshold. The blonde and the geek were left standing outside with slightly shocked looks on their faces.

"Honestly," the blonde sighed "How blind can they be?" She then followed through into the flat leaving the geek to trail along after her.

Secretly, Lottie agreed. She'd known Becker for two years and hardly knew anything about him. She'd seen him smile a handful of times and even then they'd all been either: forced, half-hearted or sarcastic. She knew Becker didn't like feelings. Or talking. Or any kind of normal human response.

But then again, one look in his eyes when he'd been carrying her had said it all. Or the fact that he had been carrying her in the first place. Maybe it was the fact that he'd had a grin on his face throughout the whole time she'd been there.

Whatever it was, Lottie knew she had to find out more.

For his sake. Obviously.

And this went on for a while. Every week, without fail, they'd all be there. Connor. Abby. And Jess.

Until one week, Jess didn't show up.

Lottie had assumed her usual position by the door that Friday evening and was startled when she heard Becker, for lack of a better word, _stomp_ up the staircase, quickly followed by a smirking Abby and Connor.

"So..." Connor held up the DVD "Abby and I thought we'd watch _'50 First Dates' _in honour of Stevie finally asking Jess out." Becker clenched his fists at Connor's words and smiled at the man through gritted teeth.

"Great idea." Becker then turned and unlocked his door and swung it open with force and then stormed in without so much as a look back at his guests, who followed him in none-the-less. _Ah,_ Lottie thought, _only an idiot wouldn't understand why Becker was angry. Or an emotional retard._ She amended.

Jess, being a pretty girl, had obviously been asked out by this 'Stevie' and it was clear to everyone with eyes that Becker did not like this one bit.

Nearly two hours later Connor and Abby emerged from the apartment. Lottie was intrigued by this as they didn't usually come out until around midnight; obviously choosing to catch up and tease each other after the movie was finished, judging by the sounds of laughter coming through the door. This time Lottie, from where she was sat in her living room, heard the sound of Becker's front door opening, some muffled goodbyes and then the door slam shut. Lottie stood up and wondered over to her door and looked through the peephole. Abby and Connor were stood on the outside of Becker's door, trying to stifle their laughs.

"Do you see his face?" Abby asked

"He obviously wanted us out of there so he could wallow in his jealousy." Connor exclaimed gleefully.

"He should have asked her out when he had the chance." Abby scorned her absent friend, who was probably making his way through a large glass of wine by now.

"What d'ya think Jess will say when we tell her what he's been like?" Connor was obviously going over scenarios in his head; each one funnier than the last.

"We're not going to tell her." Connor face fell as his entertainment vanished at the blonde's words. "Becker needs to sort it out himself."

Lottie agreed with Abby. Although, a little pushing on Becker's part may be necessary. And Lottie felt that she was responsible for sorting out this mess.

While trying _not _to create a bigger one.

Now, how to explain to Becker about how she knew in the first place...

"Becker!" Lottie called the next morning; the man in question looked up from collecting his post.

"Yes, Lottie?" he asked politely. He wore a tight, tired smile on his face, no doubt forcibly put there.

Lottie guessed he hadn't gone straight to sleep after his friends left last night, but rather choose to stay up to torture himself with his thoughts. "Are you feeling alright? You look dreadful!" Lottie exclaimed, pretending not to already know the reason why.

"I'm sure I'll be fine." He said shortly.

"You're not going in to work on a Saturday, are you?" She also already knew he went to work on a Saturday but it would raise too many questions if she revealed that fact.

"Usually. It's my day off today." Lottie had an inkling that his boss had forced Becker into this, as Becker didn't seem too happy about the fact. In all the time she knew him the man had never taken a day off, either he had the best immune system she knew or the stubbornest attitude she knew.

"Oh, then do come and have a chat with me. My husband and his daughter from his first marriage are on a trip with her children to the zoo today and it's left me all on my own."

"No, thank you." He said tight lipped, clutching his post so tightly it looked like his was about to rip the paper. _It's like he wants to be in self misery_, Lottie thought, mentally rolling her eyes at the young man.

"There's something bothering you, come in and have some shortbread and some tea and we'll discuss what's wrong. It'll do the World of good."

Becker looked like he was going to refuse, but then something changed; he smiled warmly and said "That'd be great. Thanks." _Goodness, _Lottie thought as she led him into her flat,_ It would be easier for a dyslexic to read Pitman's shorthand than it was for her to decipher Becker's emotions._

Ten minutes later Becker and Lottie sat facing each other in equally comfy chairs, a low, wooden coffee table carrying two steaming mugs of tea and a plate full of calorie packed shortbread sat between them.

"So what has been bothering you?" Lottie sipped at her tea delicately.

Becker's eyes darted around the room as if he'd suddenly realised how bad an idea this was. He was in the lion's den with nothing to defend himself. But Lottie knew that the strain of having something like this hanging over his head would weigh him down eventually, and he'd have to talk about it. He picked up his mug and pretty much drained it in one gulp, setting it back down afterwards. Then his leg started bouncing up and down and he ran a hand through his hair. Lottie had never seen him so fidgety and nervous. It was unnerving.

"There's this girl." He stated awkwardly. Lottie just raised her eyebrows and tilted her head forward slightly, indicating for him to carry on. "And I've been having... _feelings_." He admitted like it was some horrid crime "And I'm not very good with emotions..." Lottie had to restrain a snort and the urge to comment 'No shit, Sherlock' but decided it wouldn't be very ladylike and he would probably just close up again. This matter had to be handled delicately.

Lottie took another sip of tea.

"And, I thought she liked me and I was going to ask her out but then she went out with this guy called Stevie and so I'm not too sure and Abby keeps telling me that if I ask her out she'd dump him but I don't think she would. Why would she want an emotional retard when she could have _'Stevie'_." He practically spat the last word.

Lottie was sat in a bit of a shock; she had never heard the man say so much in one go. She was pretty sure she'd never heard him say so much in a whole conversation. She also realised that Jess obviously meant more to Becker than she originally thought. She had to resist the urge to squeal like a fan girl when she realised that Becker was in love with this girl. And now that his anger towards Stevie had gone out and his confusion about Jess had set in, he looked so lost, he really _didn't _know how to deal with emotions, and he still looked nervous even though he'd now gotten this all off his chest.

_Poor Becker _Lottie started thinking sympathetically as she watched him shuffle in his seat _He hates talking about/ thinking about or having emotions and not only is he doing all three but he's also experiencing anger, love, jealously and confusion. Probably the worst combination an emotional retard could have._

"I think you should go for it." Lottie said simply, setting down her cup of tea.

"But... what if she doesn't like me back?" He asked, in a rather timid voice for someone who fought against god-knows-what in his secret job. Lottie knew it was to do with animals (thanks to something she heard Abby saying) but the gun he always carried around gave Lottie the idea they weren't exactly cute and cuddly.

"Then it's her loss. But I think your friend was right, she would turn to you if you asked her out."

"You don't know her." He accused softly, looking at his feet now. Lottie had the urge to tell him that she did, but then she'd have to explain why she'd been watching.

"No, but I'm assuming your friend Abby does. Besides you'll never know if you don't try."

"Yeah." He said in a sort of defeated voice, Lottie didn't think he was going to take her advice "Well, thanks for everything." He got up to leave. Lottie couldn't let him just walk away. She had to do something.

"Trust me. I know these things. Jess will come round eventually." They both froze, Becker had been standing in the doorway, and Lottie was stood by her chair.

"How did you know her name was Jess?" Becker turned to stare at her, looking extremely panicked now.

_Bugger._ Lottie thought. _So close._

_Well the truth came out at last._ Lottie pondered as she started eating her dinner. _Becker found out I'd been watching and listening through the peephole and I knew he'd check to see if he could see my eye peering through the door every Friday night from now on._

She was about to take a bite out of her bangers and mash, when she heard Becker's heavy footfall ascending the stairs at a quick walk.

Which were quickly followed by a clatter of heels. Jess? She knew she shouldn't.

But then the argument started. And Lottie couldn't resist.

"Becker! You can't just say something like that and then walk off!" Jess exclaimed when they reached his front door; she grabbed his arm and spun him to face her.

"I'm terribly sorry Jess." He say in a muted voice, Lottie had to strain to hear it. "I shouldn't have said something like that." He turned to go in but Jess exploded.

"Yes you bloody well should have!" she shouted. Lottie was sure she wasn't the only neighbour listening in by now. "And you should've done it _sooner_!" She was pretty sure the flats above and below could hear as well.

"Jess-" Becker started but Jess interrupted him.

"No! I've been waiting for two years for you to say that you had feelings for me as well, and now that you have I'm not going to let you walk off!"

"But what about _Stevie_..." Becker mumbled, but Jess heard.

"_Stevie_." She scoffed "I only went out with him because I thought you weren't interested in me, so I was trying to move on. And then you decide to drop the bomb shell that you actually _do_ in fact have feelings for me, but I-"

But what Jess was going to say Lottie never found out. Becker, after hearing that Jess didn't like Stevie, stopped listening and seemed to be going over something in his head and whatever it was he had made his mind up because he grabbed Jess around the waist and pulled her to him, bringing his head down towards hers for a searing kiss. Jess' right hand immediately knotted in Becker's hair and the other curled itself around the back of his neck. Becker had one of his hands low on her back and the other cradling the back of her head, deepening the kiss.

For the first time Lottie actually felt guilty for watching. This was a private moment, she shouldn't be spying. But before she could move away from the door they broke apart, Lottie silently agreed with herself that now the intimate moment was over it was okay to watch them again.

Becker smiled at Jess; slightly out of breath he rested his forehead against hers, while sweeping a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled at him.

"Would you... err, like to go to dinner with me?" Becker asked, his nerves creeping back up on him.

"I'd love to." She beamed. Lottie had never seen Becker smile as wide as he did then.

"Aww." Lottie cooed, louder than she'd planned. Becker and Jess' heads turned towards her door just as she ducked down. Pointless really, they couldn't see through the peephole, but it was more a reflex than anything.

"What was that?" Jess asked.

"Something small, old and annoying." Becker said, knowing she'd rise to the bait.

"Excuse me!" Lottie stood up indignantly, hands on hips, still shielded by her front door. Jess jumped slightly, not realising there was going to be a response.

"Lottie, what did I tell you about spying?" Becker asked as if scolding a child. Lottie opened her front door, still with a hand on her hip.

"I believe you said to _'stop spying on me and my friends' _and if you ask me, Jess looks like a little more than a friend." Lottie waggled her eyebrows teasingly. Jess turned red, and even Becker had a slight flush to his cheeks as he shifted his weight sheepishly from one foot to the other.

"You're still not in the right," Becker said, his cheeks still a dull pink.

"Never said I was, but it does justify it a bit more," Jess giggled at that.

"And you must be Jess! I have to say I love your shoes!" Becker groaned and Jess' eyes lit up.

_Yes_ Lottie thought. _We're going to get along just fine._

It was true. Jess and Lottie got along like a house on fire. Much to Becker's horror. Every Tuesday Jess, who finished her shift earlier than Becker, would pop round to Lottie's and talk until Becker finished his shift, she'd then spend the rest of the evening at Becker's and then he'd drive her home. And, of course, she still came round for Friday Movie Nights. She would wave cheekily at Lottie's door, knowing Lottie would be watching, thankfully she did it behind Abby and Connor's backs so they remained blissfully unaware.

"Lottie," Becker had approached her as she was getting her mail one morning, about nine months after the incident that had finally gotten Jess and Becker together. "I need your help." Lottie knew that Becker was someone who only asked for help when he had no other options left. So this was serious. He'd only ever asked for her help twice before in the past three years he'd lived in the building: first when he had come to her to ask advice on asking Jess out and the second about three months into Jess and Becker's relationship when they'd had a pretty bad row (not that Lottie had been listening, well, not to _all_ of it anyway) and he'd come to her for advice.

"Sure, what do you need help with?" Lottie questioned as she ushered him into her apartment.

"I'm going to ask Jess to move in with me."

"That's great!" The look on Becker's face clearly stated that he thought otherwise. "What's the problem?"

"How do I ask her? What if she says no? What if she's changed her mind about 'us'?" Lottie couldn't help herself. She gave a fake sniffle and wiped away an imaginary tear while clutching her chest.

"My little Becker, all grown up! It was just over a year and a half ago that I thought you were gay." He gave Lottie a look that told her he was not amused. "Becker," she said, being serious now "Jess loves you. She's not going to change her mind. Trust me. And as for asking her just walk up to her, hand her a copy of your key and say 'Jess, will you move in with me?' I don't know why you're worried, she's already half way moved in." It was true; Becker and Jess had left clothes and some possessions at each other's flats in case they stayed the night. As she lived with another couple Jess stayed at Becker's half the time to give Abby and Connor some privacy.

"I guess, thanks Lottie." And with that, Becker stood up and left.

Lottie didn't know what Becker had done but the next time Jess came over she pushed in front of Becker so that she could open the door with _her_ key, Becker had rolled his eyes and grumbled about it being 'pointless' but the mile wide grin gave away his true feelings completely. And on the Tuesday that Jess came to see Lottie it was all Jess could go on about for the first ten minutes.

"And, of course, you can help me get moved in if you like." Jess had said.

"What help would I be? I'll be supplying the tea and biscuits at half time." Lottie winked.

Jess laughed "You can help Emily and me with the lighter boxes. The boys refuse for us to lift anything heavy, but none of them have excluded Abby because they know she'll kill them if they even suggest it. But it's not like furniture or anything because Abby and Connor are going to keep my old apartment; we just need to move my stuff out. Besides," Jess' voice gained a teasing quality "You'll be watching anyway, might as well help."

Lottie laughed "Can I meet Abby and Connor? I have a feeling Becker doesn't want me to meet them."

"Sure, Becker just doesn't want you talking to Connor."

"Well then, that shall be the first thing I do!" Both women laughed and enjoyed the rest of their time together.

Moving Jess in had been almost as much fun, while the boys and Abby struggled up the flights of stairs with larger boxes, Lottie had stopped Jess and Emily and pointed them towards a door, through it was a short corridor that lead to an elevator.

"What's this?" Jess had asked.

"The landlord owed me a favour, so he told me about the elevator. He and I are the only two who know about it, not even my husband knows, we keep it quiet because otherwise it would be jam packed all the time." Lottie smirked as she called the elevator.

"Are we not going to tell the boys and Abby about it?" Emily asked.

"They were the ones who made a big deal above how women shouldn't be lifting heavy things, and as gentlemanly as that is, it kind of detracts from the whole independent women thing. We'll tell Abby the next time we see her."

And so the three women with some of the lighter boxes got into the elevator and rode it up to the fifth floor, when they got there they walked down a short corridor and came out a door on the landing that was marked 'Landlord Only'. The three giggled and moved the boxes into the flat and went back down the elevator. When they were down they found Abby, on her own, and let her in on the secret.

All in all, it was quite a funny afternoon, Lottie and Connor exchanging stories and Jess chiming in occasionally, the girls winding up the boys (who were extremely confused about how they never saw the girls going up or down the stairs, yet all of Jess' stuff was getting up to the fifth floor) and Lottie handing out shortbread and tea half way through the day as promised.

Also Lottie was not only introduced to Abby and Connor but also to Emily and Matt. Lottie got on with Emily quite well, she seemed a bit different from the others, then again so did Matt, but Emily and Lottie never ran out of things to talk about, Lottie was fascinated by Emily's extensive knowledge on the Victorian era and Emily was shocked to hear that Lottie was an abbreviated name for Charlotte, Emily had told her that it was a beautiful name and that she once had a friend called Charlotte, at this point Matt put a reassuring hand on Emily's shoulder. Lottie wasn't sure what it was about but she could see the pain in the woman's eyes and felt sorry for her.

Connor and Lottie got on because they both like teasing Becker, especially about Jess, and when Lottie had told Connor about her suspicions that Becker had been gay when they first met Connor had not stopped laughing for a good five minutes then had turned to Becker and made a remark about 'being Ken rather than Action Man', Lottie would have to ask Becker what that was about. Abby liked Lottie because she was on her side for the whole animal debate issue, they found it funny to gang up on Becker, for when Abby and Becker started shouting Lottie would scold Becker for talking that way to a woman.

Lottie liked Becker's friends, even more so now than when she was just watching them through the peephole.

Which made her sound like a stalker, no matter how she phrased it.

Lottie had finally admitted that maybe she was a little bit nosy. Was it really being nosy if it helped in the end? Probably. She couldn't really deny it completely after all that had happened. She hadn't been, until a certain Mr. Becker moved into the flat across from her, she'd had no problems with nosiness.

But then the lure of his tragic love life had just swept her up like the siren to the sailor. She hadn't _meant _to get involved, but she couldn't _resist_. Lottie smiled when she thought about Jess and Becker, it had been four years since Lottie had helped Jess move in, and since then Becker had proposed (when Becker had asked for advice this time Lottie had _actually_ cried and clutched her heart, saying that she thought this day would never come), they'd gotten married (Lottie had been invited and she'd made her speech about thinking Becker was gay, she also found out his first name was Hilary, who knew?) they had moved out and were now expecting a little baby boy.

Connor and Abby now had a son called Nicholas, and he was the most adorable thing, with Connor's dimples and Abby's feistiness he could probably get away with anything. Matt and Emily were engaged and Lottie was invited to the wedding, she told Emily she felt honoured and Emily said it was her pleasure; she now came round with Jess on Tuesdays to talk.

Suddenly Lottie heard a _crash_ and a peal of high pitched giggles. Lottie was at her peephole within seconds. Across the landing crouched a young man weary dark jeans and a light blue button up shirt, the top button undone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbow. He seemed to be hunched over his foot, Lottie saw a box on its side and had deducted that the man had manage to drop it on his foot. _Ah,_ Lottie thought. _My new neighbours, now that Jess and Becker had moved out of course someone else would move in._

The giggling must have come from the girl stood at the man's side, not helping him in any way just content to stand there and watch. She had dark hair tied up in a scruffy ponytail, unlike the man whose blonde hair seemed perfectly coiffed, not a hair out of place. She wore denim shorts and trainers with a logoed shirt.

"Thanks for the help, some friend you are." The man scoffed and rolled his eyes. He stood up straight and Lottie realised the man was huge! He towered over the small girl. The small girl rolled her eyes in return.

"You were the one who said I shouldn't help because," her voice turned to mocking "'You're a girl and girls shouldn't lift heavy stuff' I'm just as capable as you, you know." She glared at him.

"Fine." He said, picking up the box off the floor and dropping it into her arms. She stumbled a bit before gaining back her balance, her face started to turn red and her breath got shorter under the strain of holding it.

"See?" The man said in a softer tone. He took the box off her and held it in his arms, seemingly without trouble. The girl huffed in annoyance. Something about her expression must've amused the man because he started chuckling; the girl stuck her tongue out at him for his actions but couldn't hold the facade of being angry any longer and started laughing too.

Lottie quickly rushed into the kitchen and got her box of shortbread and made some tea. After she'd got everything ready she put it on a tray and carried it outside.

"Hello. I heard you coming up; I wondered when we were going to have new residents. I'm Lottie and if you need to talk about anything, my husband and I are just across the hall."

"William." The man said "And this is my friend Rose." He that look in his eyes when he'd said her name, a look that Lottie had seen whenever Becker talked about Jess. She did an internal squeal.

"Shortbread and tea?" Lottie smiled at the couple. Oh! She'd have so much fun watching this relationship develop. And a few pushes every now and then couldn't harm.

Lottie smiled. She wasn't nosy. Just curious.

Or at least, that's what she told herself.

**Few! This took **_**forever **_**to do. But one of my New Year Resolutions was to finish most, if not all, of my FanFics, and this had been lying around from months ago. So hope you enjoyed it, I really enjoyed writing Lottie she kind of reminds me of my Gran who's out in Australia at the minute, I might have based some of Lottie's actions on my Gran. Ah well! Please review!**


End file.
